Op. 50a – Silver Spring

Originally written for clarinet quartet, Silver Spring sounds even better in its orchestral form. The work is easy enough for community orchestras.

Silver Spring is in two contrasting movements, the first lyrical and dreamy with some moments of intensity, and the second one with a rock beat to it, though still retaining an introspective mood. The harmonic language is basically tonal, with some excursions into 5-29 territory.

Silver Spring is named after the Maryland city on the edge of Washington, D.C. where I was walking on the day that I finished this work. On that walk, I encountered a small triangular park marking the location of the actual spring for which the city is named.